USA GOLF, adidas unveil Olympic golf uniforms

ORLANDO, Fla. — USA GOLF and adidas unveiled the uniforms for the men and women who will compete later this year at the Rio Olympics. As you might imagine, there is a heavy dose of red, white and blue as golf makes its return to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1904.

“I’m thrilled to see this in person, to see the final set of uniforms,” said USA GOLF Executive Director Andy Levinson, who has been working with adidas since 2012 when he first met with David Abeles, the President and CEO of TaylorMade-adidas Golf, under the tree outside the clubhouse of Augusta National during the Masters.

“It kind of brings all the work we’ve done over the last few years in preparation — working with adidas, working with our players to get feedback — into perspective. To see the final product is really special.”

The announcement was made Wednesday during the annual PGA Merchandise Show held at the Orange County Convention Center.

Levinson worked with American players, including the PGA TOUR's advisory board, to get their input, while Dav Mattucci, the global product director with adidas golf, worked with some of the adidas athletes, such as Dustin Johnson.

Mattucci said the design inspirations focused on Americana but with a nod to their Olympic hosts in Brazil.

"The inspiration was obviously red, white and blue," he said. "We wanted to make it very American, but incorporate some of the actual setting of the Games."

The apparel scripts for both the men and women for each round were released. The men will wear predominantly white shirts for the first and third rounds, a blue-and-red shirt for the second round, and a red shirt with a blended U.S. flag in the final round.

Slacks each day will be blue, either a printed version or solid, and there are five different colors that the athletes can choose for belts.

The women will wear predominantly blue in the first and final rounds, and red in the middle two rounds. But they will have more options in terms of style choices, including standard polo shirt, sleeveless or a dress.

"We not only wanted to provide great designs but ... we wanted them to truly feel like athletes," Levinson said. "When you look at the final product, they really achived that."

In terms of the retail market, adidas said the apparel will be available in stores in June.